


The Taste of Spirits

by orphan_account



Category: AU - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor: Ragnarok - Fandom
Genre: Cuddling, F/M, It looks bad but it isn't, Loki being Loki, maybe something else too, mistaken dubcon, seriously nothing bad happens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 04:27:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13228056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After settling things in Norway, Thor decides Team Revengers should visit his good friend Darryl in Australia. Loki, probably not wanting to deal with a pitch-fork rally, tags along.Loki may be a, to put it mildly, little shit, but Thor for once is actually happy he meddled. Valkyrie is happy too, but the two of them will never admit that.(I tried keeping them in character, I hope I did them justice.)





	The Taste of Spirits

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not the best writer, and I'm not a smut writer in the slightest, so this is not that at all... nor am I a big time shipper but I saw some requests for Thorkyrie on tumblr. Thor: Ragnarok is my favorite movie and I was in the mood. Also, really, nothing dubious happens, it just looks bad. 
> 
> (Thorkyrie. Wow, I spelled that right the first time!)

Thor's in a awkward situation.

It's not because he's stuck between a rock and a hard place, which has happened (albeit the "hard place" and the "rock" both happened to be Korg...Don't ask) it's because a particular person is very, very close to him.

And he's powerless.

I know what this looks like, but Thor is never powerless, not really. You take away his hammer, you get the lighting, you take away the lighting and you get the guns, so to speak. If his biceps are represented by the USA, then Captain America's are Cuba. 

No, it's because Valkyrie is sleeping on him. Only, mind, because she's passed out. 

Naturally, Thor panics.

This has _never_ happened in all their short history of binging, which started in Norway and gradually made its way to Australia, and to his good Midgardian friend Darryl's house. Point is, nothing can take Val down, not a thing. Not even a Sakaarian widow-maker, which Val knew the recipe to, and Thor was sick for an hour on. This is intentional. Someone's poisoned her, yes, some foul soul did this. Loki. He's always guilty of something, even if that something has been sleeping for twelve hours straight in Darryl's guest bed upstairs, well before the binge started. Loki's fault. 

Of course he'd made the excuse he was suffering from jet lag. Can Jotuns even get jet lag? Thor's never had to experience it but then he _is_ Asgardian. Loki is a lot weaker physically than he's taken him to be all those thousands of years. He couldn't even handle that time Hulk buried him halfway into Tony Stark's Tower. It was nothing! He should know now!

Banner, whom he nearly forgot about until then, is just smiling at him, lounging back in what he called a "lazy boy", this feline look of contentment just lighting up his face. Thor half expects him to make a little circle and curl up. 

_"Maaaan, y' look upst."_ He's smashed, ironically enough.

Thor makes a very un-godlike hiss "I can't move!" no, really, he can't. He can think perfectly clear, or as clear as he can when alcohol is involved, but this has, again, never occurred before. It's just a day for oddities. Loki happenings, he's sure. 

"LOKI!"

Val shifts. He hasn't stooped so low as to peek in on her sleeping (granted the refugee ship didn't really have proper rooms to begin with, and she's always booking separate rooms) but he can't help but stare. There's something vulnerable all about her face, no tenseness, no suspicion, no snarkiness. He wishes she would get snarky right now,  
slap him, anything. He can honestly say he's ever felt like this around any other woman, or at least not this keenly. She makes him, the God of Thunder, King of Asgard, nervous. Thus, he paradoxically wants to be as near to her as he can while being as far away as possible. He gulps, it's suddenly very warm and it's not the ale.

"Hey, hey Val," He's whispering while trying to wake her up to...this. See the torment and confusion this is causing him? 

"Hmmnnhhh" says Banner unhelpfully. He tips his tankard up to down more ardent spirits, not perturbed at all when the only thing he gets is fumes. He swallows air.

Thor tries to wiggle his toes, grunting. He succeeds in amusing Banner, somehow. Slow-as-tar he sinks to the floor, silent laughter choking him into the Hulk's opposite color. 

"LOOOOKIIIIII"

His inadvertent prayers are answered.

There's a sudden flash. Its so bright all other light in the room is dark by comparison. There's sparks, green and gold. There may be a flourish of horns to be heard in the distance. Thor is left with an outline of his brother in his retina for what's likely to be ten minutes. 

Thor is used to this. Loki used to appear to ancient Norse worshipers this way back in the day when they were foolish enough to beg for his help. This is not lost on Thor.

Banner, so drunk you could probably convince him that Sun revolves around Earth and that Tony Stark is now president of said Earth, throws his tankard _at Thor_ all the while gawping in the direction of the newly summoned Loki. 

"AAAAaaaahhhhhh..." 

Loki looks well and truly tired. He's standing with his hands clasped in front of him, much like those fellows on the TV that Darryl likes to watch, the ones that toss the ball around. Of course Loki would have that foresight. Not a bad idea, considering Banner has a bit of Hulk hiding around in his throw. Loki may yet want to bear children, as unlikely as that ever seems. 

His voice tired too, but he manages to line it with velvet nonetheless. "You called, brother? Don't answer, only you could manage to wake me from a magically induced nap."

"You were asleep for twelve hours!"

Loki stands there, considering. 

"Is that all? I had meant to sleep for a week, I kid you not. The thought of having to take refuge on this backwash planet for years to come makes me want to forgo any plans I had with it, and hibernate. Seeing...seeing as we won't be going anywhere... But, I appear to have misplaced something that would have aided me in that endeavor..." 

"Misplaced?" That can't be good. 

Something is clicking between the two of them. Something is forming up. It's in the shape of Val who's got a bit of drool coming out. Thor thinks it's cute, but shakes his head. Or tries to. He's probably just turning red.

Loki raises a brow at his brother's predicament. 

"Oh, so that's where it went." The God of Assholery's face is deadpan. Darryl came up with that. Thor was taken aback. 

"If it's a spell, you can reverse it. No jokes, not now."

Loki spreads his hands magnanimously. "Sorry, its a potion, meant for me by me, and therefor only works properly on, well, me. But alas, you didn't believe your liar of a brother when he said 'don't mix my stuff with yours or there will be trouble.'"

Thor growls "You only packed your knives." And twelves changes of clothing but the point still stands. 

Loki smiles and waves his hands as if he's trying to entertain a child. Loki is surprisingly good with them despite his efforts to scare them by threatening to boil them alive. "Maaag-ic. Oh, look what's this? I believe this is my cape for government functions, and ah yes, this is my grooming set, and what have we here but the necklace mother gave me..."

The items pile up around Banner.

"Then why leave your--you did this on purpose. To embarrass me."

Loki scoffs "Really, who's here to embarrass you? But yourself of course. He--" he gestures with a nod to Banner, who's on very friendly terms with the floor "--won't remember a thing. And she's asleep. Not much I can do." He shrugs with both his shoulders and those eyebrows of his. 

"Why in Helheim am I paralyzed then?"

"Oh, well, yes that was me. I thought you'd like it. You and her, I can't help but notice the tension. The way you look at her when she's about to leap at your throat with her sword. It's barbaric but you're into that sort of thing. I thought I'd help speed up the process." He makes a frivolous gesture with his wrist.

He's helped alright. Thor won't feel so awkward trying for a hug anymore (he's always given her the option while standing at least three feet away) but if she wakes up now...

She snorts, the kind of something-just-disturbed-my-dream snort and shifts again. One of her knees wedges itself between his legs. He feels himself blush. His hands are at his sides. He's innocent.

Oh no. A thought occurs to him that normally wouldn't even bother to form, given that Val will probably kick his kingly ass five ways to Sunday if she wakes up and decides, no, I'm not going to accept your explanation. It is this: What if Darryl happens on them? It's not that he cares what Darryl thinks, but humans have all sorts of hangups if you don't explain things to them quickly enough, plus he is trying to set an example for Loki. Yes, it is all for Loki. A little rebellious thought tells him Darryl won't buy it, because he's not as dull-witted as he-- _Loki_ thinks he is. And Darryl isn't currently passed out or under a magically induced coma. He's at work and he'll be here in an hour. Loki isn't likely to help.

Embarrassing. 

"A week you say."

"An entire week."

Thor glares. "Darryl called one of those strange mammals that has a pouch a 'little shit' once. _Loki_. On our father's grave, I'll find the biggest carnivore on this planet and compel it to devou--"

His brother sighs but keeps his smile. "Fine, fine, I'll wake her up..." he's giving in too easily, this is wrong.

"NO!"

Loki doesn't move a muscle.

Val makes a sleepy sound that goes straight through Thor's entire being, _all of it_. He focuses on the ceiling. Nice ceiling. That's a spider. A big one. Good, good spider. He tries to imagine how Loki would fair against such a spider, only giant-er sized. 

He swears he hears Loki whisper none too quietly " _Not me_ " before poofing back to whatever infernal realm he came from. Probably a cosmic filing cabinet filled with bad ideas. Or just Darryl's spare room. 

Val, only a few inches away from his face, wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and blinks up at him. It takes her a minute to register what's going on.

Thor smiles shyly. Or winces. He can't tell anymore. Val pushes herself up, not taking into account where her leg's ended up. Oh, yes, he wincing _ouchouchouch!_

"What. Happened." She's upset, her eyes looking for all the world like a dragon's, and rightfully so. There's no sword occupying her grip, just possibly his neck. She doesn't even need those to kill him. 

"Loki happened. I swear it, I swear it on--" He looks around. Banner! He's always so helpful. 

"Banner's life." 

Val keeps him in suspense before inclining her gaze to the inebriate PHD bearer-sometimes-mean-green-Thor-fighting-machine. 

"Yet not Hulk's..."

"Yes yes his too!"

She digests this and _will not oh by Borr!_ move her leg. She's got him by the balls, in both ways.

It looks to Thor she's resigned herself to the fact she only has his word to go on, because even if Loki ever does tell the truth of the matter, the truth's probably been wrapped up in a sandwich of lies. A lie sandwich. 

"I suppose I believe you,” but she refuses to take her hands off him “because Loki would do something like this. And you have been a man of your word...and respectful..." There's a menace in her tone that can match Hela's an then some. The very thought of _thinking_ of ever harming her makes him sick. He hopes he's not really sick, because it will be a mess. 

"That, and I literally cannot move. No really, Val, watch."

He attempts the old toe wiggle. Val, face as serious as all eternity one moment is scrunched up like a giddy fangirl's the next.

"What's so funny?"

She rests her forehead on his chin in a fit of laughter-- she clearly can't control herself--, and her hairs manage to brush his lips. He can't help but smile too. 

"Your--Your _face!_ "

Ah, so that's what Banner found amusing. 

"I'm telling the truth you know."

Val straightens up again, still a bit of warmth in her demeanor. "I know. Don't tell me how this happened. I don't want to know how I ended up on you. It's better that way. We don't speak of this."

"Fine by me," he says an octave higher than usual.

"Oh, sorry! How long has my--no, I don't want to know." She resolves herself. "Just--where's Loki?" She nearly growls saying that. Thor really wishes she would _not_ right now, given the circumstances. He's the one about to 'fangirl'. Such odd terms these humans have. 

"Hibernating." 

"Bearing witness to the fruits of his labor."

The pair turns. Loki smirks at them. Thor feels Val tense, which causes his body to involuntarily fill with adrenaline. It's not Loki he's thinking of aiding even if he could move.

"No no, don't bother, he's a hologram. The little shit."

Loki winks. 

***

Thor spends the next week on the couch, pretending to have the Asgardian flu. Turns out oh, Valkyrie didn't actually drink Loki's potion, she was just *that* tired. Thor drank it. Loki isn't a total little shit however, as he's kind enough to spare Thor the humiliation of certain bodily functions during his convalescence. Valkyrie manages to go a full day without inebriating herself, not wanting a repeat, until the world is filled with too much soberness and Darryl. Speaking of, Darryl is used to the mysterious ways of the gods by now, no really how could he be more blessed, and takes it at face value. Banner remembers nothing, but is confused when he wakes up wrapped in a gold threaded blanket with a comb stuck in his hair and a very pretty necklace tangled up around his head. He's considerably fearful of what an Asgardian flu can do to the human body. Not his, just Darryl's. 

And that spider is no longer in sight. This concerns everyone.

On the last night of the flu, Val swings herself onto a couch arm, a frosted white, cylindrical bottle in her hand. The warm lamp light casts smooth and curving shadows on her face, neck, body. She's got this look in her eye. They're both thinking of it. Or at least Thor hopes she is thinking the same thing. It will be the Korg situation all over again. (You really want to know? Well, turns out whatever Korg's species is can get drunk on motor oil. Also? The females of Korg's species are considerably smoother, and, well...)

"New drink?"

"Yeah, can you believe this guy was hiding it in his bathroom? It's nearly one-hundred percent proof and it wasn't even open."

She slips off the arm and slides up to his end of the couch.

"Does my king wish for a swig?" she says in a mock lordly voice. She'd never call him 'my king' with any sort of seriousness, and he'd never ask her to. If only he could get her to tell him her real name. She's hinted at it, it begins with a B...

"I don't know, not if I have to stay here for another week." He can't stop smiling. He wants to be serious, grumpy, Odinesque, but he's not his father. And Val is...Val.

"Even like this?"

She leans in over him, then shoves him as far as he'll go against the sofa with her own weight. Without spilling a drop of the new and mysterious drink, balanced with the grace of a warrior, she conforms her body against his. He wasn't expecting _this_ , just a playful kiss on his forehead, if even. Her hips take up a lot of room and he's not complaining. In fact, he's downright honored. 

"Well, if you just stay there..." he feels heat rising in his face, other places....

She doesn't stay just there, and he's happy with that.

He takes in the smell and taste of spirits, and he drinks his fill. 

***

Somewhere above them in the spare room, Loki is smiling. He's little shit, he'll admit, but he's a darn good wingman.


End file.
